Ferrule for holding end loops in wire rope



April 14, 1959 K. L. WERNSING FERRULE FOR HOLDING END LOOPS IN WIRE ROPE Filed Feb. 25, 1957 IN VEN TOR.

L. WERNS/NG United States Patent FERRULE FOR HOLDING END LOOPS IN WIRE ROPE Kenneth L. Wernsing, Portland, Oreg., assiguor to The Skookum Company, Inc., Portland, Oreg., a corporation of Oregon Application February 25, 1957, Serial No. 642,128 1 Claim. (Cl. 24-123) This invention relates to ferrules for holding end loops or eye splices in wire ropes and cables.

It is well known to form a loop in a wire rope by passing the end of the rope through a ferrule or sleeve, bending the section of the rope which has been passed through the ferrule into a loop, passing the end of the rope back through the ferrule in the opposite direction, and then swaging the ferrule upon the two courses of the rope.

It is the general object of the present invention to provide for use in the foregoing procedure an improved ferrule characterized by several significant advantages, i.e.:

First, the wire rope passing through the ferrule may be maintained straight and unbent at all times.

Second, the free end of the rope may be butted firmly against the end of the ferrule so that it may be inserted therein a maximum, uniform distance.

Third, the ferrule has no shoulders which might catch on obstructions during use of the rope.

Fourth, the free end of the cable is contained entirely within the ferrule so that dangerous, needle sharp strands do not extend outwardly therefrom, even though rope elongation occurs during swaging.

Fifth, it is easy to insert the rope end into the ferrule without interference from the rope segment already present therein.

Sixth, the rope is not damaged during swaging, thereby preserving its inherent strength.

Seventh, the ferrule is inexpensive and easily applied.

The manner in which the foregoing and other objects of the present invention are accomplished will be apparent from the accompanying specification and claim considered together with the drawings, wherein:

Fig. l is a perspective view of the herein described ferrule;

And Figs. 2 and 3 are sectional views in side elevation of the herein described ferrule with the wire rope inserted therein before and after swaging, respectively.

The ferrule of my invention comprises a tube indicated generally at of substantially elliptical cross section. The body 12 of this tube is dimensioned to receive two courses of wire rope or cable 14, lying side by side, parallel to each other. The rearward segment 16 of the tube is flared outwardly for easy insertion of the rope. The forward segment 18 is tapered in the indicated manner. It is provided with an offset opening 20 dimensioned to receive a single course only of the rope.

Accordingly it will be apparent that the wire rope or cable may be inserted through opening 20 and through the body 12 of the ferrule, passed out flared end 16 thereof, formed into a loop, and the free end inserted into the ferrule until it abuts against the closed portion of tapered nose section 18. The rope then may be adjusted until a loop of the desired size has been formed, as indicated in Fig. 2.

The ferrule then may be swaged by hammering it between dies of appropraite contour having a diameter corresponding approximately to the resultant diameter desired in the swaged ferrule. The swaging reduces the outer and inner dimensions of the ferrule, and changes the elliptical form to substantially cylindrical form. Also, it mashes the adjacent courses of the wire rope into each other and into the side walls of the ferrule so that the rope is confined securely in a loop or eye splice of the desired dimensions.

While the rope is being introduced into the ferrule, it is maintained straight at all times so that the free end may be inserted into the ferrule to maximum depth. This insures that a strong connection will be formed and prevents projection of sharp strands outside the ferrule. Accordingly, a safe, strong eye splice is produced.

It is to be understood that the form of my invention herein shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example of the same and that various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of my invention or the scope of the subjoined claim.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

A ferrule for holding end loops in wire rope comprising a deformable tube of substantially elliptical cross section, and a tapered projecting nose section of substantially elliptical cross section integral with the tube, the nose section having an opening through one side thereof offset from the longitudinal center of the ferrule, the tube being dimensioned to receive two parallel unbent courses of Wire rope, one course passing through said opening on one side of the tapered nose and the other course abutting against the inner surface of the other side thereof.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 219,860 Healey Sept. 23, 1879 1,422,660 Bump July 11, 1922 2,340,183 Glen Jan. 25, 1944 2,346,412 Bratz Apr. 11, 1944 

